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KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Uploading Images and Other Attachments

Use the Attachments function to add resource files to your document. This can be used to add not only images (e.g. .JPG, .PNG, .GIF, etc.) to your document, but other resource files as well (e.g. .PDF, .PPT, .DOC, etc.).
  • An individual image/attachment must be smaller than 125MB.
  • Multiple 125MB images and/or attachments can be attached to a single document, but each individual item must be smaller than 125MB. For larger files, we recommend using a file storage service such as Box. Please see the UW-Madison Box KB site for more information.

NoteInformation symbol

Files like PDFs, Word Docs, and PowerPoint presentations need to meet campus accessibility standards to ensure that they can be accessed by all of your users. Please see the guide to making accessible documents and the document accessibility toolkit for resources on ensuring your attachments are accessible prior to uploading them to the KB.

Drag & Drop Images

The first and easiest way to add items to your document as well as your document attachment folder is to drag the image from a location such as your desktop or a folder right into the document's edit window. This will both place the image into the document, as well as automatically create your document's attachments folder.

Demonstration of a cupcake image being dragged into the document edit window

Please note: when you drag and drop an image into your document's edit window, the Knowledgebase system will automatically assign a filename to the item when it adds it to the attachments folder. Information on renaming files is further down in this document.

A filename is automatically assigned to the image that was dragged and dropped into the document edit window

Creating a Document Attachment Folder

Create an Attachment folder in a Brand New Document

  1. If you are creating a new document and have not saved it yet, the Attachments section of the document edit screen will display a check box alongside the text "Create a new doc attachment folder". If this box is checked when saving or submitting for the first time, a new folder will be created.

    Screenshot of a checkbox next to the text "Create new doc attachment folder".
  2. The next time the document edit screen loads or refreshes after saving, the Attachments section of the edit screen will display a link that says "Upload or manage attachments."

    After saving a document the option to Upload or Manage Attachments appears

    You are now ready to upload images and other attachments into your KB document.

Create an Attachment Folder In an Existing Document

  1. On the document edit screen, scroll down to the Attachments section and click on the link to "Upload or manage attachments."

    After saving a document the option to Upload or Manage Attachments appears

  2. The attachments folder will open in a pop-up, and you are now ready to upload images and other attachments into your KB document.

Uploading Files Into Your Attachment Folder

  1. Open the document you wish to upload attachments to, scroll down to the Attachments section and click "Upload or manage attachments."

  2. You have several options to add items to your attachments folder.
    • You can drag and drop files into the uploader area, and they will automatically be added to your document attachment folder.
    • Click the Browse for file(s) button to do a traditional upload process of clicking on a file and uploading it to the attachment folder.

      The attachment upload window allows for you to drag and drop into a dashed area, or click the browse for files button
  3. Uploaded files will appear under the Attachments section on the edit screen as soon as you finish uploading them.

  4. You have multiple options to insert the uploaded file(s) in the document body:

    • Place your cursor where you would like the image or file link to appear, then click Place image. This will immediately prompt you with a pop up box to give you the opportunity to provide a text alternative to succinctly communicate the purpose of the image for those using screen readers, and then place the image in its full size.

    • Place your cursor where you would like the image to appear and click on the Insert/upload KB attachments icon Represented by a folder with a mountain graphic in the TinyMCE editor. A popup window will appear with a drop down list to choose images or files from the document attachment folder or from a shared attachment folder. Once you choose an image from that list, you will get options for placing the image including alternative text and dimensions.

Attachment Folder Management

Create a Subfolder

  1. You may create a sub-folder(s) within the Document attachment folder, should you want to organize your attachments by kind, version, etc. Simply click on the link, Open doc XXXXXX attachment folder link. A pop up window will appear with Choose and Upload buttons. Below that, you will see a Folder name: text box. Enter the folder name of your choice there and click on the Create Folder button. The image below shows that the folder, "Wind_Turbine_Images" is about to be created for this KB document, number 5722.

    document attachment folder screen showing a new folder being created

    • Multiple sub-folder levels are allowed in attachment folder and there is no limit to the number of levels.
    • A sub-folder name character limit exists so the file path can remain efficient.
    • As you navigate through the sub-folder structure within the document attachment folder, the updated path will be displayed so you can accurately point to each file location.
    • When viewing the entire attachment folder from the document edit screen, the folder name will appear at the top alphabetically, and you can expand it to see the files placed within that folder.

      Document attachments showing a expanded subfolder with three images contained within

Attachment Folder Table Info

Once the Attachment folder is populated, you are presented with a table of helpful information:

  • Icon - indicates the type of file extension.
  • Name/View - gives you the name of the file, clicking on this link allows you to view the file.
  • CopyURL - allows you to copy the filepath of the image to paste into the document editor
  • Rename - clicking on this link allows you to rename your file. Remember to manually add the file extension.
  • Move - you may move this image into your KB's Shared Documents folder and/or your KB's logo folder.
  • Download - clicking on this link allows you to download this document to your browser.
  • Delete - Check the checkbox to indicate the file(s) you wish to delete. Click on the Delete Selected button at the bottom of the table to delete your file.
  • Size - indicates the size of file.
  • Modified (GMT) - indicates the time and date stamp your file was uploaded in Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT).
  • In docs - Clicking on the Show link displays document ID numbers in which this image appears. Should the image not be placed in a document, you will see None.

Delete Images/ Attachments

To delete images or files simply click in the check box in the Delete column and then click on the Delete selected button. Or you may click on the the Select all button if you wish to delete all the images and files and then click on the Delete selected button.

Zip Images/ Attachments in the KB Admin Tools

To make a zip file of all or selected images/files, select the images and/or files you wish to zip by either clicking on the check boxes in the Delete column or click on the Select all button. Then click on the Zip selected for downloading button.

Document attachment folder highlighting the esses.png file being selected and the being zipped for downloading

A pop up message will appear saying, "A .zip file will be created for you to download. /Click on the OK button to continue.

.zip file creation confirmation popup with buttons to confirm or to cancel

Once you have clicked on the OK button in the pop up message, a zip file with the file/files you selected will appear in the document attachment folder. The image below shows the document attachment folder for 52053 from our test KB site. The zip file link is circled in red. You may place this *.zip link in either Plain text or have open in a New Window (NewWin).

The *.zip file's naming standard is, the word Download, plus the date/time/second stamp (e.g. Download20150825182430.zip).

document attachments showing a created zip file

When you place the zipped link in the Body of your document the link will read as Download############.zip, for example: Download20230502185248.zip

To update the link text, click into the linked text and click the Insert/edit link icon and change the "Text to display" field.

Shared Attachments

Your KB site may have resources such as images, banners and logos stored in a Shared attachment folder. Unlike a document-specific attachment folder, the shared attachment folder is easily accessible to all documents. The shared attachment folder functions just like a document attachment folder.

Access the Shared Attachment Folder:

  1. Documents tab > Shared Attachments link > Shared attachment folder for your group space pop up window.

  2. Attachments section of the Document editor > Open shared attachment folder link > pop-up window titled Shared attachment folder for your group space.

    Items 1 and 2 above both lead to Shared Attachment Folder pop up window with the file path of:
             /images/groupXXX/shared/

         This window shows a list of folders, files, and images available. You may select, delete, move, rename and delete images.

shared attachment folder URL path also displaying images in the folder ready to embed into a document

Shared Attachment Folder Links in the Editor

  • If you wish to upload a new image to the Shared attachment folder, click the the Open shared attachment folder link.

  • If you wish to place an image or file from the Shared attachment folder into your document, click the Copy link, and then follow the steps to add an image using the Insert/edit image icon in the TinyMCE editor.



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OwnerLeah S.GroupKB User's Guide
Created2007-04-10 19:00:00Updated2024-02-01 15:34:54
SitesKB Demo, KB Demo - Child Demo KB, KB User's Guide
Feedback  5   1